As a conventional lever-type connector in which a mating connector is fitted thereto by rotating a lever, a lever-type connector disclosed, for example, in PTL 1 has been proposed. In this lever-type connector, by rotating a lever, a mating connector is drawn from a half-fitting position where the mating connector is half fitted to a connector housing to a proper fitting position, and by doing so, the fitting operation can be carried out easily, and also the reliability of the fitting operation, etc., can be achieved.
As shown in FIG. 6, the lever-type connector 100 includes the connector housing 101 in which terminals (not shown) each connected to a wire W is mounted, a cover 102 which is attached to the connector housing 101 and receives the wires W therein generally over a longitudinal range of the connector housing 101 to lead the wires W as a wire bundle to the exterior in such a manner that the directions of the wires W led out from a cavity 101b of the connector housing 101 toward the cover converge within the range of from 0° to 90° with respect to the direction of leading-out of the wires W, and the lever 103 rotatably (pivotally) mounted on the connector housing 101 so as to be rotated about rotation axis pins 101a on the connector housing 101.
The connector housing 101 has the cavity 101b, and the terminals each having the wire W connected thereto are mounted in the cavity 101b. The cover 102 is attached to the connector housing 101 to cover the outside of the cavity 101b. A lock retaining portion 104 is formed at the cover 102. The lock retaining portion 104 projects from the outer surface of the cover 102, and when this projecting portion is pressed, the lock retaining portion 104 is elastically deformed toward the inside of the cover 102.
The lever 103 is mounted so as to be rotated between a standby position and a lock position (shown in FIG. 6) with respect to the connector housing 101. Cam grooves 103a are formed in the lever 103.
Next, the operation for fitting the mating connector (not shown) will be described.
First, the operator inserts the mating connector into the connector housing 101 from a direction of arrow A, and sets the mating connector in a half-fitting position where cam pins (not shown) of the mating connector are engaged respectively in the cam grooves 103a of the lever 103. Then, when the lever 103 located in the standby position is rotated in a direction of arrow B, each cam pin receives a pressing force form the corresponding cam groove 103a as a result of the rotating of the lever 103, and the mating connector is gradually shifted toward a proper fitting position in the connector housing 101. Also, when the rotating lever 103 reaches a position just before the lock position, the lever 103 presses the lock retaining portion 104 of the cover 102, so that the lock retaining portion 104 is elastically deformed toward the inside of the cover 102 (in a direction of arrow F in FIG. 6). As a result, the lever 103 is allowed to rotate. When the lever 103 is rotated to the lock position, the mating connector is drawn into the proper fitting position. Also, when the lever 103 reaches the lock position, the lever 103 ceases to press the lock retaining portion 104, and the lock retaining portion 104 is elastically restored toward the outside of the cover 102 (in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow F in FIG. 6), and locks the lever 103.
Next, an operation for canceling the fitted condition of the mating connector will be described.
First, the operator depresses the lock retaining portion 104, and when the lever 103, located in the lock position, is rotated to the standby position, the mating connector is retracted from the proper fitting position to the half-fitting position. When the operator separates the mating connector, located in the half-fitting position, from the connector housing 101, this operation is completed.